Are You Hungry?

Though I wouldn't say I have an eating disorder there has definitely been a disorder to my eating. For as long as I can remember I have been a slave to the scale. My daily diet and attitude would revolve around whatever weight it ruled over me. Every morning I would step on the scale, take a deep breath then slowly look down. From that point on my day would be decided. Either I would eat three very small meals and be miserable (have to keep up the routine or I might gain a pound) or I would eat even less and be really miserable. Throughout the day I would yell at my kids, snap at my husband and wonder at the end of each rampage why I was so angry. Then last week while working on a Bible study (Beth Moore's Breaking Free) I read I Corinthians 10:31 and everything began to click for me. I realized I wasn't glorifying God with the way I was eating and I was angry because I was hungry.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

God never intended for us to starve or even be hungry and being hungry doesn't make us righteous either. I had been eating and drinking to glorify myself not God and "dieting" to maintain what I wanted, a small number on the scale. When I would succeed I felt powerful, content (though temporarily), in control and glorious. I was torturing myself (not to mention my family) in vain because even when the scale told me what I wanted I still wasn't happy. After all it meant I had to keep up the "diet" and what I really wanted to do was just eat and be happy! I let this area of my life become a stronghold and it wasn't glorifying God.

Then it dawned on me today that we can be "hungry" for things other than food. We can be "hungry" for love, peace, contentment, excitement and other things that we search for and try to control or fill on our own only to be disappointed with the outcomes. The verse above says "or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God." This means in all areas of our life we need to be glorifying God. If we are looking for love, we need to speak of His undying love for us that sent His son to the cross. If we are looking for peace, we need to be obedient to His will. If we are hungry for contentment or excitement, we need to spend time with the Lover of our soul, the only one who can truly satisfy us. And when we eat and drink we need to do so in a healthy way that gives strength and energy to our bodies, His temple. Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." We don't have to be slaves to the things we desire. Christ came to set us free and He can and will meet all of our needs.

So after reading these verses I made a few changes. For one I threw away our scale. I hated seeing my daughter hop on the scale after me even though she had no idea what she was doing. Strongholds start somewhere, right? Next I started eating. I haven't gone crazy, I'm not a nutritionist but I know junk in=junk out. I have been making healthy choices and eating simply when I get hungry. I now eat three meals a day with healthy snacks in between. And it's working. I'm not hungry and I've been a much happier mom and wife.

Are you hungry? Grab an apple and your Bible and get all filled up.

Here's a healthy dinner menu for you to feel good about eating and serving your family, Enchilada Casserole with Southwestern salad.

Enchilada Casserole
Sauce
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Salsa
1 14-oz can Italian plum tomatoes, diced
1 4-oz can diced green chilies
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (omit if you want a mild salsa)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
Enchiladas
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup canned mushroom stems and pieces, drained
2 tbsp diced green chilies
3/4 cup freshly grated low-fat cheddar cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
3 8-inch flour tortillas

In a covered jar, combine all enchilada sauce ingredients the set aside. In a bowl, combine all salsa ingredients then set aside. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring chicken and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from broth and dice. In a nonstick skillet, heat olive oil then add onion and saute until tender. Toss chicken with onion then sprinkle with cumin and chili powder. Add mushrooms and green chilies. Combine cheeses. Cover the bottom of a nonstick 9-inch round cake pan with 1/3 of the enchilada sauce. Place one of the tortillas over the sauce then top with half the salsa, half the chicken mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Top with a second tortilla, 1/3 of the enchilada sauce, remainder of salsa and chicken mixture and another 1/3 of the cheese. Top with final tortilla and pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. 8 Servings.
[204 calories, 6 grams of fat per serving]

Southwestern Salad
1 head of Romaine lettuce chopped
1 small can of Mexican style corn (with black beans and peppers)
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Dressing
1 cup low or reduced fat Ranch dressing
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp fat free sour cream

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl then set aside. Mix all dressing ingredients well then serve with salad.